


fascinating facts about geckos

by miracleboysatori



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: High School Teacher AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-09-23 17:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9668267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miracleboysatori/pseuds/miracleboysatori
Summary: Ushijima Wakatoshi.That’s the coach’s name. And he’s the new biology teacher on campus, so not only is he incredibly beautiful, he'salsosmart as hell.Tendou can tell he’s completely doomed.Or: A high school teachers AU in which Tendou is the art teacher and Ushijima is the new biology teacher and volleyball coach on campus.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've decided to take a short break from IAHWNW because jumping back into it has proven to be really difficult after a couple of months. This AU really struck my interest though, so I'm very excited to work on this fic! Updates will probably be around 2-3k just to give myself more breathing room, and I'll try to keep them fairly consistent. c:
> 
> The idea spawned from a ship prompt generator used with twitter and once I had the idea I just... ran with it. And fell in love.
> 
> Erica was going to beta this but... I got antsy and posted it anyway (I hope she'll forgive me <3333)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! <33

If Tendou Satori received a fresh new copy of any of his favorite volumes of manga for every time a student asked him to attend an event of theirs, he’d be practically swimming in manga. 

Well, not that he isn’t already. 

His apartment is full to the brim of books bought on a whim during weekly stops at the local manga shop. It’s not so much of an addiction as it is an escape; a way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of being a high school art teacher. 

He loves his job, loves the smiles on his students’ faces every time he compliments their work and tells them how much they’ve improved. He loves the high-fives he receives as he walks through the hallways, the grins and the enthusiastic “Tendou-sensei!” that accompany those high-fives. He loves waking up every morning knowing that he’s going to a job that gives him a sense of completeness, a feeling that he’s doing something right and good.

But really, he would be lying if he said it wasn’t extremely tiring sometimes. 

Especially now, this season, with all the sports teams starting official games. He has a surprising amount of students who play on the school teams as well, and after nearly every single class he receives an invitation to attend a game after school or during the weekend.

Tendou Satori is much too soft in the presence of a hopeful high schooler, nervously declaring that they’d love for one of their favorite teachers to come watch them play. And now, on a regular Monday, he’s run into that very same problem once again.

“Sensei?” Keiko, one of his second-year students, a quiet girl with short hair and a real talent for painting, approaches him after class for what he assumes will be a question about the homework. 

Tendou looks up from his laptop, offering Keiko a warm smile and a curious expression.

“I was wondering,” she continues, fiddling nervously with the strap of her messenger bag, “I have a practice match tonight, and coach said he was going to put me in the lineup to play, do you… think you could come?”

Tendou, as much as he would like to stay home for the night and binge watch a new anime series, cracks once again under the pressure of a student’s hopeful request.

“I’d love to come, what do you play?” he asks, closing his laptop.

“Volleyball!” she answers quickly, now rummaging in her bag before pulling out a piece of paper with the time and place of the game scribbled messily on it.

Volleyball? Tendou doesn’t recall the school having a volleyball team. He’s been teaching here for about five years now, and he’s attended track meets, basketball games, baseball games, swimming events even, but never volleyball.

“I wasn’t aware that the school had a team,” he takes the paper and studies it before looking back up, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh! Well... we didn’t. Not until this year! The coach is new and he’s really good… he used to play for a nationals-level team. So he proposed the idea and a lot of people were interested.”

That would explain it.

“Ah!” Tendou grins, “well guess who used to play volleyball in high school too?”

Keiko’s expression lights up, “You played volleyball?”

“I did, though it really wasn’t my calling in life I don’t think. Art always seemed like the right choice for me,” he tucks the paper in his dress shirt pocket, “anyway, count on me being there! I’m excited to see you play.”

“Thank you, sensei!” Keiko smiles wide and Tendou’s reminded why he always agrees to these things; seeing his students so happy is what makes him love his job so much.

****

\-----

****

****  


Tendou, as loyal as ever, keeps his promise, and shows up to one of the school’s large gymnasiums for the first practice match of the season for the girl’s volleyball team. He watches from the second floor, leaning over the railing and hoping he’s not intruding. The match hasn’t started and the opposing team isn’t here just yet but the team is practicing anyway.

He spots Keiko, setting the ball for the other players as they take turns hitting it across the net. She must be the setter then, which Tendou feels a sense of pride for. He always thought the role of setter would be one that he never could have mastered. Middle blocking was the only role he ever felt confidence in.

Tendou hasn’t spotted the coach yet. He’s interested to see this new face, especially since he’s become fairly close with most of the other teachers in the building. Meeting new people has always been one of his favorite things. People are interesting, complex, and he loves trying to figure out what makes them tick. And to know that someone else in the building shares his love for volleyball, well, that’s definitely something he’s excited about.

He busies himself with his phone, checking emails and social media until finally the opposing team arrives and greets the home team. It’s a small team from a school nearby, probably a good match for the home team since this will be their first game. It brings back memories of junior high, when he played his very first match. It was hard, devising his own method for blocking and being told it wasn’t practical, but he never was interested in practicality, more so just in having a good time. 

The game starts, and from this angle he still hasn’t seen the coach. Really, he knows that’s not the reason he’s here anyway, so he’s annoyed that his brain keeps nagging him to search for this person he’s never met before. Instead he fixes his attention on Keiko, watches her nervously set the ball and, admittedly, mess up a few times, but for being a beginner she seems to understand the game extremely well. 

They play three sets, and the opposing team wins two of them by only a couple points. By this time, a few more students have joined Tendou on the upper level, and they all give both teams polite applause once the game is done.

And finally, that’s when he catches who he assumes is the coach. 

He’s tall, though not really taller than Tendou, but he appears bigger considering how built he is. Warm brown hair with choppy bangs frame his face and when Tendou catches the gentle smile on his face as he approaches his team… 

Oh no. Coach is cute. Coach is _really_ cute.

Coach pulls the team into a huddle, and Tendou can’t hear a word he’s saying but if the expression on the students’ faces are any indication, coach just gave the most encouraging speech in the entire universe. Tendou grips the railing, internally cursing his brain for continuing to stare at this man he’s never met in his entire life. It’s been years since he’s seen someone so ridiculously and stupidly beautiful, and he’s not even close to him, he’s several feet away.

By some sort of miracle, coach leaves the huddle to go speak with the opposing coach outside. Tendou breathes a sigh of relief and makes eye contact with Keiko, who waves enthusiastically in his direction. He waves back, grinning before shouting, “Good game!”

She shouts back a quick thank you before starting to stretch. Tendou takes this as his opportunity to finally go home, hoping that he’ll be able to free his mind of the most beautiful man he’s even seen in his entire life.

He should have known this was wishful thinking.

****

\-----

****

****  


Ushijima Wakatoshi.

That’s the coach’s name. And he’s the new biology teacher on campus, so not only is he incredibly beautiful, he's _also_ smart as hell.

Tendou can tell he’s completely doomed.

Keiko tells him this information the next day during class when Tendou curiously asks about who exactly the coach is. She even says where his office is, and Tendou definitely didn’t specifically ask for that information, absolutely not.

He tells himself, _begs_ himself, not to go to that very office without a clear reason, but Tendou doesn’t typically think about things before he does them. He’s all impulse, and that certainly doesn’t change in this situation.

So, regrettably, he finds himself standing in the doorway of Ushijima Wakatoshi’s office, eyeing the nameplate on the door before turning his attention inside. Ushijima looks even more built up close like this, and it sends a shiver down Tendou’s spine. He can’t see his face; Ushijima’s desk is facing away from the doorway and he’s leaned over, grading papers while classic rock plays quietly on the radio in the corner of the room.

Tendou just watches for a moment, watches the way the fabric of Ushijima’s button-down molds so perfectly and flatteringly across his muscular back, watches the gentleness in his hand as he grades his students’ work. Finally he realizes how strange it is for him to just be standing here staring, and he certainly doesn’t want Ushijima to spot him before he says anything. 

He coughs, louder than he had initially planned, and Ushijima immediately looks up and glances towards the doorway. His stare is soft but strong at the same time, rendering Tendou completely speechless as Ushijima looks back at him with a confused expression.

“Can I help you?” Ushijima asks after an incredibly awkward silence between the two of them.

Even his voice is gorgeous, deep and warm and threatening to make Tendou a complete, blushing mess. 

“Ah, yeah!” Tendou nearly chokes on air, which he internally kicks himself for.

Ushijima blinks, waiting for an explanation, but Tendou’s voice appears to have stopped working. How convenient.

“I have a lot of work to get done,” the coach explains, gesturing slightly to the stack of papers on his desk.

“Yeah, sorry, I uh,” Tendou’s brain is in overdrive, his internal dialogue is all screaming at this point, and he’s grasping for any sort of statement to make to continue this conversation, “I heard you were new this year. I’m the art teacher - ”

“Tendou,” Ushijima completes his sentence for him, and Tendou jumps a bit at the sound of his own name being spoken by that heavenly voice.

“Right!” the redhead smiles nervously, “And you’re Ushijima, the new biology teacher, right?”

“Yes,” Ushijima answers bluntly and easily.

Clearly conversations aren’t really Ushijima’s forte. But that’s fine, because they’re definitely Tendou’s forte. Well, unless he’s been driven completely speechless by someone’s attractiveness.

“Just thought I’d come by and introduce myself,” Tendou manages, but he’s starting to crack under that intense stare, “are you enjoying the school so far?”

“I am.”

It’s another short, basic answer. Tendou really isn’t used to this at all. Normally he can latch onto someone’s personality extremely quickly, he can understand them clearly within a few minutes, can really get into their head and know what makes them tick.

Ushijima Wakatoshi is different. And Tendou is incredibly intrigued.

“Was there anything else?” the question doesn’t sound mean, in fact it’s polite and gentle and it just makes Tendou feel bad for taking up Ushijima’s time.

But when will he muster up the courage to do this again?

“Yeah, actually! I had um… a question,” his mind races, trying to come up with any possible thing to say that won’t sound like he’s made it up on the spot.

Ushijima is a biology teacher. He knows a lot about animals. Surely he knows a lot about pets, probably has a lot of tips for several species of animals. A dog or cat would be too obvious, even a bunny wouldn’t seem right.

Lizards. For some reason, Tendou’s mind decides this is the key.

“I have a pet lizard,” Tendou blurts out.

Tendou does not have a pet lizard.

“A lizard?” Ushijima perks up, and Tendou internally congratulates himself; he’s obviously peaked his interest, “What breed?”

_Shit._

“He’s… a gecko.”

“Crested gecko? Leopard gecko?”

“Crested,” Tendou answers, not even knowing the difference between the two breeds.

“I see,” Ushijima nods in understanding, “what did you have a question about?”

“Um, well, he’s new. I just got him recently. Wanted to know if you had any tips or references about owning one.”

“I do,” Ushijima stands, stretching for a moment (which Tendou thanks the gods for) before walking over to a bookshelf in the corner of his office. 

He grabs a copy of the biology textbook, flipping through until he finally finds what he’s looking for and sets the book on the desk. He beckons Tendou over, and the redhead quickly walks towards him. He knows he should be looking at the textbook, but his eyes graze over Ushijima’s arms, his shoulders, and then back up to his face.

“Chapter 12 in the textbook has a section about lizards,” Ushijima explains, softly tapping the book in front of them, “which would do you some good to read over if you don’t have experience.”

“Okay,” Tendou answers weakly, finally bringing his attention to the textbook.

“I’ll mark the page for you and write it down,” Ushijima says, reaching for a post-it and writing the page numbers down on it before placing it in the textbook, “you can borrow this but I need it back by the end of the week.”

“Understood,” Tendou mumbles, taking the book and holding it against his chest.

“Also,” Ushijima continues, reaching for another post-it note and writing down a series of numbers - 

_Oh god_ he’s writing down his phone number.

Tendou Satori is getting Ushijima Wakatoshi’s phone number and he feels like he’s about to combust.

“I”ll give you my phone number, you can call me or text me if you have more specific questions. I interned at a shelter for reptiles while I was in college so I can give you more information. My office is always open too, but I would prefer you know what you’re going to ask before coming and standing in my doorway. It’s very distracting.”

Oops.

Tendou takes the second post-it with a slightly shaking hand, which he hopes Ushijima doesn’t happen to notice. He makes sure it makes it into his pocket before looking back at Ushijima again and nodding in understanding.

He’s not typically rendered speechless but this… this is definitely new.

“Now I should probably get back to grading. Was there anything else?”

“No,” Tendou answers quietly and then repeats himself just a bit louder, “no, that was it. I’ll… let you know if I have any other questions, and I’ll bring the textbook back too.”

“Thank you,” Ushijima smiles and _god_ it’s such a warm smile that Tendou feels blessed to witness it, to have been the reason it exists.

“No, thank you!” Tendou laughs nervously, backing up to the doorway and tripping slightly on the corner of the door, “I’ll… see you around, Ushijima! Have a good night!”

Ushijima watches him leave with a slightly concerned expression.

As soon as Tendou leaves the room he walks quickly and shakily to his own office. He shuts the door behind him and and flops down in his desk chair. He closes his eyes and there’s a brief moment of peace, though it doesn't last long before Tendou opens his eyes again and immediately mutters under his breath.

“Shit.”

He’s in really deep this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3 Please feel free to talk at me about these boys!!!
> 
> twitter: [tendouaf](http://www.twitter.com/tendouaf)  
> tumblr: [tendou-satori](http://www.tendou-satori.tumblr.com)  
> art blog: [kat-doodles](http://www.kat-doodles.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this update is very late and not very long, I apologize. I'm still having quite a difficult time getting back into the groove of writing consistently... I have several ushiten ideas that I plan on working on soon, though!! ;; 
> 
> thank you for sticking with me! <33 and i really hope you enjoy this update! i always have such a fun time writing these two, and this au has been such a blast so far, i adore it! ;u;

“You did _what_?”

An amused scoff, followed by a heavy sigh. Tendou figures he really shouldn’t be surprised by this reaction, in fact he had almost expected it from his best friend of over ten years.

Kawanishi Taichi has been with him since junior high, played volleyball with him, even. They bonded through years of a mutual love of the sport and, of course, art. Kawanishi, being notoriously impatient with kids, especially teenagers, had chosen the route of freelance art instead of art education.

“Are you being snarky or do I really have to repeat myself?” Tendou also sighs, stirring his morning coffee, sitting on the table in front of him next to a notebook filled with lesson plans.

“Just… shocked, is all. I figured you’d be the type to just be up front about finding someone ‘ridiculously hot’. At least… that’s the Tendou Satori I know and remember. Blunt… honest… doesn’t understand boundaries… doesn’t speak before he thinks…”

“Taichiiiii,” Tendou whines, raising a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose, “I panicked, this guy isn’t just regular ‘I’d like to make out with you for a while and then never speak again’ hot, this guy is like… one of those you can bring home to the parents.”

“Are you listening to yourself right now?” Kawanishi scoffs again, “You sound like a lovesick teenager, Satori. Are the kids getting to your head?”

“No,” Tendou quickly counters, “it’s just… been awhile since I’ve seen someone so beautiful, it’s messing with my head.”

“Clearly,” there’s another soft laugh from Kawanishi’s end, the clinking of a spoon against a cup, probably from his own morning coffee, “maybe you just need a night out or something. Wanna go to that bar downtown? Where Eita works?”

“I wish,” Tendou eyes the notebook in front of him, “I’m way behind on lesson plans. If I don’t get these done by Monday I’ll just have to pull stuff out of my ass during class.”

“Well maybe,” Kawanishi’s voice is sly and Tendou knows, without question, that he’s about to make another snarky comment, “you could have them sculpt lizards. And you can keep the best one, maybe get a cage for it, name it Ushijima.”

Tendou smirks, “Absolutely not. And I think you mean _geckos_.”

“Right. Geckos. My apologies,” Kawanishi sighs, “I’ll let you get back to your fantasizing about the dreamy biology teacher, let me know when you’re free though, I miss hanging out.”

“Yeah… me too.”

Tendou doesn’t often take time to think about it, but it seems like there used to be so much time for that -- hanging out with Kawanishi and Semi and not stressing about work and money and… well, he misses it.

They exchange a few more short work stories before saying goodbye and ending the call. If Tendou had his way, he’d talk to his best friend all day, but the notebook in front of him has other plans. 

And, of course, there’s that textbook he has yet to open, mostly out of embarrassment. How could he think that telling Ushijima such a ridiculous lie was the best first step towards winning his love? Why was he thinking like this in the first place? Someone like Ushijima must be seeing someone, must have a line of people waiting to date him. How could Tendou ever think he’d possibly have a chance? 

Either way, he has a feeling that when he returns the textbook, Ushijima will ask him if he read it thoroughly, and Tendou knows that he’ll crack under that intense stare again, completely unable to lie.

**\-----**

The weekend goes by as quickly as usual, but somehow Tendou finds the time to finish up his lesson plans and thoroughly read the entirety of chapter 12’s section all about lizards. He even makes notes. Notes that he won’t even be using because he doesn’t really have a pet lizard.

_Get a grip, Satori._

His mind taunts him when he walks into school on Monday morning, greeting his fellow staff before settling into his office located across from the art classroom. He sits at his desk and sets to work, planning out his day and what he’ll get for lunch and --

“Tendou Satori.”

Tendou jumps, his knees hitting the underside of his desk as the pen he was holding slips from his fingers and falls to the floor. He knows that voice, in fact he thinks that voice has visited him in his dreams a couple times the past few nights… that’s embarrassing.

He turns, mouth curling into an awkward smile even as tears fill the corners of his eyes at the pain his knees are currently in.

“Ah, Ushijima, good morning!”

“I apologize if I startled you,” the coach says calmly, standing in the doorway of Tendou’s office, “I wanted to ask if you had a chance to read the textbook I let you borrow.”

“Oh!” Tendou swivels in his chair, leaning over to reach into his bag and pull out the heavy textbook in question, “I did! Thank you again, it was very informative.”

Ushijima takes a few large steps forward and Tendou hands him the book while also taking a moment to once again admire the shape of his muscles underneath such a well-tailored button-down. 

“If you need it again, let me know. I have extra copies but I don’t want to lose track of where they are. They’re expensive to replace.”

_Such a rule follower_ , Tendou thinks, admitting to himself that he’s probably blushing just a bit. It’s hard not to when he’s in the presence of such a beautiful man with a heart of gold.

“That probably won’t be necessary,” Tendou waves a hand in front of his face, “I took notes and read it multiple times! Also remember that I have your number if I have any specific questions,” he chances a wink at that last statement, but Ushijima doesn’t appear to grasp it.

“Yes. I would also be interested in seeing some photos of the gecko, if you don’t mind.”

_Shit._

“Photos?” Tendou’s voice squeaks just slightly, “Ah! Yeah… alright.”

“I apologize if that’s an inconvenience for you. Lizards are very interesting creatures and quite beautiful to look at, so I thought I would ask.”

“No!” Tendou nearly falls out of his seat, “No, you’re fine! I agree, they’re… very pretty. I’ll try to send you a picture sometime!”

_Now you’ve really done it, Satori._

“I look forward to it,” Ushijima smiles, just barely, but Tendou’s heart skips a beat and his skin flushes and he feels like he’s seen an angel or something.

The coach heads back to the doorway of the office, turning around to speak once more, “Have a nice day, Tendou.”

“Thank you,” his voice is weak and quiet so he repeats himself just a bit louder, “thank you Ushijima, you too!”

**\-----**

The day goes by at a snail’s pace, most likely due to the fact that Tendou’s mind keeps giving him hell for once again telling a lie to a man that he’s trying to impress. As much as he takes pride in his impulsive nature, he admits that it more often than not just gets him into more trouble than he needs.

He packs up at the end of the day, working to leave the building before the rest of the staff. He hopes that he doesn’t run into Ushijima, but unfortunately he does pass by him on his way out of the building. He offers him a quick, awkward smile, rushing even quicker to leave. Ushijima doesn’t appear to think much of it since he continues walking down the hallway after returning the smile. 

And maybe Tendou turns around to walk backwards for a few seconds, just to admire that strong, muscular back, but that doesn’t matter.

When he returns home, he considers quickly texting Ushijima and letting him know that his entire life is a lie -- he doesn’t own a lizard, he’s not really even that interested in having one, and all he really wants is to kiss Ushijima’s face and feel his biceps. 

That would go over well, right?

Collapsing onto his couch and groaning, Tendou stares at the screen of his phone. Surely he can find some kind of way out of this mess without driving Ushijima away and making him think he’s the strangest man in the entire world. Surely there’s some way to prove he actually owns a gecko when he clearly doesn’t. Tendou’s always been good at playing games with people, his entire high school career was full of intricate pranks that required weeks of thought and planning. Something like this should be a breeze.

And then it hits him -- google image search.

He scrambles to pull up google on his phone, immediately typing ‘geckos’ into the search bar before hitting ‘images’. There’s a wide array of images; all the geckos look unique and beautiful and suddenly he’s stressing over finding the prettiest one, just to really impress the man of his dreams.

He settles with an image of a gecko with several spots covering its body. He finds its fat little tail incredibly charming and its wide eyes extremely adorable. This one is perfect, he thinks. He saves the image to his camera roll before pulling up Ushijima’s contact and typing out a message.

_**Tendou:** here he is! thanks again for the help!_

Suddenly feeling a huge wave of relief, Tendou places his phone on the table in front of his couch. He lets his tense body sink into the seat beneath him, breathing a deep sigh before slowly closing his eyes.

_Victory_ , he thinks, feeling the same sort of pride that he used to feel when playing volleyball in high school.

That lasts a few sweet minutes before his phone vibrates. Smiling, he reaches for his phone, expecting a sweet message about how beautiful his gecko is and how well he’s taking care of it.

_**Ushijima:** Strange. I thought you said your gecko was a crested. This one is clearly a leopard gecko. Are you sure you read the textbook? You may need to revisit it._

Tendou’s smile quickly fades. He drops his phone, letting it fall with a dull thump against his chest before reaching up with both hands to cover his face. Of course. How could he be so stupid to not make certain the breed was correct.

Just how he plans to get out of this… he really isn’t sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3 Please feel free to talk at me about these boys!!!
> 
> twitter: [tendouaf](http://www.twitter.com/tendouaf)  
> tumblr: [tendou-satori](http://www.tendou-satori.tumblr.com)  
> art blog: [kat-doodles](http://www.kat-doodles.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back! sorry again for the wait, writing is hard! ;; I do have several things planned beyond this fic tho so I'm very excited! I'm taking part in slow burn big bang as well as haikyuu big bang again this year, plus ushiten week is right around the corner, which i am also hoping to write for!
> 
> as always, thanks for sticking around and reading my stuff, it means more to me than i know how to say, and i hope you all continue enjoying this! <33

So how does one deal with the crushing realization of ‘I lied to the biggest crush I’ve ever had in my life and I don’t think I can come back from this without looking like a complete dumbass’?

Tendou knows he has several options. 

One extreme would be to jump off the face of the earth, change his name, move to a new city and start over completely. He would tell all his friends goodbye and explain that he’s gone too far this time, his pride is shattered and as shameless as he is, this was a step too far. The lizards ruined his life.

Effective, but definitely too difficult and _way_ too expensive for a high school teacher. 

The other end of this spectrum, and the most mature option, would be to simply go to Ushijima and explain the misunderstanding. Explain that he got too deep into a lie and couldn’t dig his way back out. That happens to people, right? That’s a normal occurrence, surely the lovely and kind Ushijima Wakatoshi wouldn’t hold that against him?

But would it ruin his chances of ever possibly getting with Ushijima, that’s the real question. Does Ushijima even reciprocate those feelings? Likely not, Tendou assumes. 

Instead, Tendou goes with the third option.

He avoids Ushijima as if his life depends on it. He doesn’t respond to his text. He takes a different route in the hallways so he doesn’t conveniently run into Ushijima anymore. He doesn’t visit volleyball team practice sessions anymore, and when his students ask why, he explains that he just doesn’t have time. It’s difficult, probably one of the most difficult things Tendou’s ever done, but he decides that it’s time to move on. No more unrequited crushes, no more lies, and _especially_ no more lizards.

Kawanishi calls him immature, as if Tendou doesn’t already know. He insists that Tendou leave his apartment, his ‘den of sadness’, and get a drink with him at the bar Semi works at. Tendou doesn’t really have much of a choice when Kawanishi drives up to his apartment and honks his horn repeatedly. 

“Just leave me to suffer, Taichi,” Tendou sighs dramatically as soon as he slips into the car.

“Grow up,” Kawanishi rolls his eyes and immediately starts off in the direction of downtown.

That’s essentially how the rest of the car ride goes; Tendou whines about his unfortunate situation and Kawanishi counters with comments about how immature he’s being and how easily he can fix this situation. Tendou knows that Kawanishi’s plan is to get a few drinks in him so he’ll be more willing to cooperate. But he’s not going to let that happen.

Unfortunately that’s exactly what happens. 

As soon as they arrive at the bar Semi works at, their friend has two glasses ready for them. He greets them with a wave and a concerned gaze in Tendou’s direction, “What’s your deal?” he asks as soon as they sit down.

“It’s a long story,” Kawanishi states, sliding one of the glasses in Tendou’s direction, “Satori here has a _crush_.”

“A crush?” Semi glances at Tendou and drums his fingers against the bar, “Okay? I mean that’s not… that shocking?”

“He’s so beautiful, Eita, I’m not worthy,” Tendou explains, voice wistful.

Semi scoffs and crosses his arms, “God, you sound like a high schooler, sounds like you need a new job.”

“That’s just it, Eita,” Kawanishi chuckles, “he _works_ with him. He’s the volleyball coach.”

“Jesus,” Semi shakes his head, “this sounds like something out of a drama.”

“He looks like he’s from a drama, or a movie, or some amazing anime series,” Tendou stares at the wall, already feeling the alcohol taking effect just a little bit, “maybe he’s not real and this is all just a big joke.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who needed reality checks as often and as much as you do,” Semi’s lip quirks up in a smile, “so tell me about it, are you talking to him?”

“No!” Tendou’s voice comes out louder than intended and he nearly sends his whiskey glass flying, “I can’t… not anymore. I’ve done an embarrassing thing.”

“God, Satori, did you send him nudes or something?” Semi asks with so much concern in his voice that Kawanishi has a good laugh, nearly choking on his drink.

“What?!” Tendou’s eyes widen, “No! Who do you think I am?”

“He lied about having a pet lizard,” Kawanishi explains between a snicker.

Now that truly stumps Semi. His expression goes neutral but Tendou can see the gears in his head going at full speed, trying to understand what is going on.

“You… lied about a lizard? Satori, I’m lost.”

“Listen! Just… listen, okay?” Tendou throws his hands up, nearly smacking Semi in the face unintentionally, “I’ll tell you everything, but you have to just _listen_. No mean comments, okay?”

Semi waves a hand, urging his friend to continue.

“Okay… so I went to a volleyball practice session because one of my students asked me. I didn’t see this guy until that day. And… Eita, he’s so beautiful… I’ve never seen someone so stunning in my life,” he pauses, noticing the simultaneous eyebrow raise from both Kawanishi and Semi, “present company not included, of course! Anyway, I _had_ to talk to him, I _needed_ to, but I didn’t know _how_. But I found out that he’s also the biology teacher! So I had a plan, a genius plan! Tell him I have a new pet lizard and ask him for advice about how to take care of it-”

“Are you fucking serious?” Semi interrupts, followed by another snort of laughter from Kawanishi.

“Eita! You promised! No mean comments!” Tendou whines, slamming a hand down on the bar.

“That wasn’t a comment, that was a question,” Semi smirks, noticing Tendou’s empty glass and immediately giving it a refill. 

“Well… yes, yes I’m serious. You try to tell me any other way I could have easily talked to him!”

“First of all,” Semi sets the whiskey jar back on the shelf behind him before leaning on the bar again, “you could have acted like a normal human being. You could’ve gone to him and let him know you enjoyed watching the practice session because you too used to play volleyball.”

Tendou’s face goes pale, “Bonding over volleyball…. Of course,” he lifts his glass, taking a particularly large swig, “Eita, you’re a genius.”

“I’m not,” Semi scoffs, “I just think before I act, unlike you. So I’m guessing he found out you don’t actually have a lizard?”

“Not yet,” Tendou sighs, “but I accidently sent him a photo of the wrong breed so he’s probably on to me.”

“Things can never be repaired ever again,” Kawanishi teases.

“Taichi, harsh!” Tendou counters, “You aren’t helping!”

“Alright, listen,” Semi interrupts, “Tendou, I think you just need to talk to him. Explain the situation. You’re both grown men, it’s fine.”

Tendou groans. He knows what he _should_ do, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

“Let me see your phone,” Semi asks calmly.

“Why?” Tendou shields his pockets.

“I’m gonna help you,” Semi explains, “I’ve been in several embarrassing crush situations like this.”

Tendou is hesitant, but the combination of Semi’s calm stare and Kawanishi’s snarky comments eventually bring him to pull out his phone and hand it to Semi. 

Semi quickly scrolls through the messages, shaking his head and laughing when he gets to the end, “Wow, you’re worked up over _this_? He hasn’t even completely caught on, he just thinks you made a mistake.”

“Yeah, but,” Tendou finishes the rest of his second glass, “I don’t wanna screw this up. He’s really nice and sweet and the attractiveness is just a bonus. I’ve never been so enamored by someone, Eita.”

Semi glances at Tendou and smiles warmly, “Alright, alright. I can tell you really like this guy. I think your best bet would be to ask him to come talk to you. In your office or something.”

“But Eita -”

“Trust me,” Semi hands the phone back to Tendou with the keyboard up, ready to respond to Ushijima, “it’ll be fine.”

Tendou stares at the screen for a brief moment, considering the options. He still has the other extreme. But Semi is smart and loyal and he’s never purposely steered Tendou in a direction that would hurt him. He quickly types out his response.

_**Tendou** : Ushijima ! Ccan we plese talk inmy office somdeay yhis weeek?_

Feeling fulfilled, he sets his phone back down on the bar for his friends to see before crossing his arms proudly.

“Damn, those typos are horrendous,” Kawanishi chuckles and Semi joins him.

“Taichi! Eita! I thought you both wanted to be supportive! You’re the ones who insisted I drink before doing this!!”

“We’re proud of you,” Semi leans forward and pats Tendou on the shoulder, “now you should go home and get some sleep before responding to whatever he sends back.”

In agreement, Kawanishi urges Tendou out of his seat. They both bid Semi farewell before heading outside and getting back into Kawanishi’s car. 

Tendou vaguely remembers the drive home and crawling into bed when he does get there. He thinks his phone might have gone off, but as per Semi and Kawanishi’s advice, he ignores it and saves it for the morning.

When he falls asleep, he dreams he owns a zoo full of lizards and that Ushijima Wakatoshi visits all the time and think he’s the coolest guy in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3 Please feel free to talk at me about these boys!!!
> 
> twitter: [tendouaf](http://www.twitter.com/tendouaf)  
> tumblr: [tendou-satori](http://www.tendou-satori.tumblr.com)  
> art blog: [kat-doodles](http://www.kat-doodles.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi again!! how many times can i apologize for being such a slow writer??? ;; ANYWAY, i'm back, and this is the second to last chapter of this fic!!! thank you all so much for hanging in there and enjoying the ride with me. if all goes planned, this will be my first fully finished multi-chapter fic, and that's really exciting for me!!! <3
> 
> (I also started another fic, a stz centered post -apocalypse au!!! [it's called finding panacea](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12168843) and i'd be honored if you'd read it, if that sort of thing interests you!!)

Tendou awakens the next morning in the clothes he wore yesterday, the faint pounding of a headache immediately pulsing through his brain as soon as he sits up in bed. He stretches, letting his eyes adjust to the soft light coming through his blinds. He tries to remember what happened last night; he knows he went drinking with Taichi… but what happened after he had a couple drinks, he can’t put his finger on just yet.

He glances at his nightstand, and as soon as his eyes rest on his phone he immediately remembers. Realization setting in quickly, he scrambles to grab his phone, quickly unlocking his screen and checking his messages. There are three unread, one from Taichi, one from Eita, and…

Thank god. One from Ushijima.

Choosing not to quell his extremely strong crush, he pulls up his coworker’s text first.

_**Ushijima** : That’s fine. Any day works for me. Also, I assume you were drinking when you sent this. Please make sure you drink a lot of water today._

Tendou’s heart flutters uncontrollably, and honestly it’s embarrassing. He sets his phone back down in his lap, dragging his hands down his now beet red face. A groan slips past his lips as he thinks about just how ridiculously _kind_ Ushijima Wakatoshi is, even after all the bullshit he’s put him through. Even after all these strange lies, all the odd behavior, and even an embarrassing drunk text… Ushijima is still concerned about Tendou’s health and seemingly neutral about everything else. 

After letting his heart recover from the ridiculously cute text message, he finally checks the other two from his friends.

_**Taichi** : you’re welcome_

Cheeky as always. Tendou smirks; he’ll definitely have to thank Taichi later for enabling his drunk texting.

_**Eita** : Hey, make sure you drink water today, let me know how everything goes with the crush!_

Taking a moment to thank whatever gods exist for his incredibly supportive friends, Tendou sets his phone back on his nightstand and rolls out of bed, ready to take on the day.

\-----

Tendou spends the remainder of his weekend running through potential conversations that could happen between him and Ushijima. He knows he needs to come clean about the ridiculous story he’s been building up, but he can’t imagine what his coworker’s reaction will be. Will he maintain that calm and understanding demeanor, or will some other beast rear its head, showcasing a new, more foul-mouthed Ushijima?

Embarrassingly enough, both options fuel a fire inside Tendou’s stomach. _God_ he’s in deep.

When the school week rolls around, Tendou sinks back into his dismissive nature, hiding in his office and peeking around corners whenever he’s forced to walk amongst the building. He never sees Ushijima; he chalks this up to it being exam time. He must be up to his ears in grading homework and tests. As an art teacher, Tendou’s never had to deal with this.

He rushes out of the building every day after school, responds to inquiring texts from his two best friends with simple, “ _I’m busy, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet._ ”

He knows he’s making excuses. He knows it’s silly to be so afraid to talk to someone about such a silly lie. But part of him, sadly, almost hopes that maybe Ushijima Wakatoshi will forget all about Tendou Satori and everything will return to normal, the lizard story forever remaining a mystery.

But Tendou’s luck isn’t the best. And Ushijima Wakatoshi isn’t the type to just _forget_ about a person.

“Tendou.”

The gruff voice comes from the doorway of Tendou’s office, making him jump and, once again, slam his knee against the bottom of his desk. He winces, quickly checking the clock on his desk - it’s nearing 9 PM. He’d stayed late to figure final grades for his students, but he hadn’t realized just _how_ late it had gotten.

Furthermore, why in the world is Ushijima here this late as well? The building should be empty, save for Tendou and his pile of student art projects.

“I apologize if I startled you. I noticed your light was on and thought I would come by.”

“No problem,” Tendou squeaks, turning his chair to take in the frankly beautiful sight of Ushijima leaning against his doorframe with his arms crossed. Tendou’s mouth suddenly feels incredibly dry, “can I… um… did you… need something?”

“You never came to talk to me, as your text suggested last weekend,” his eyes move past Tendou and instead to his desk, “but again, I apologize if you’ve just been busy. I’ve been as well.”

“Um, yeah,” Tendou laughs softly, nervously tapping his fingers against his thighs, “sorry about that.”

Ushijima watches him expectantly. Maybe he senses there’s more to the story than Tendou is letting on. How perceptive of him.

Guess it’s time to come clean, then.

“Listen Ushijima, I don’t have a lizard.”

“Yes, I know,” Ushijima nods in understanding, “the picture you sent me was one of the top results in google images.”

“You… recognized it?” Tendou’s eyes widen.

“I did. One of the projects I have my students do is to study a species of animal and create a poster about them. This year, I had a student choose geckos. The picture you sent me was on his poster,” he motions out the door, “It’s hanging in the hallway.”

“Ah,” Tendou’s expression falls, “guess I wasn’t as clever as I thought, huh?”

“Definitely not.”

He doesn’t sound angry or even upset in the slightest, but still… Tendou feels _bad_.

“Sorry about all this. You probably think I’m really weird now, right? It’s okay if you do. I’m used to people thinking that,” the tapping of his fingers quickens.

“No, I don’t,” Ushijima shakes his head, “I found the whole thing…” he smiles softly, “amusing.”

“‘Amusing’? Is that…. A good thing?”

“I think so,” the coach nods and then unfolds his arms, “I think you’re amusing, Tendou. In a good way.”

Oh boy. _Oh boy_. Tendou’s heart threatens to leap out of his chest. His mouth goes even more dry and suddenly all he can hear in his head is the choirs of angels, all he can see in front of him are fluffy pink clouds surrounding Ushijima Wakatoshi, all he can feel in his body is _warmth_.

“Are you alright?” Ushijima suddenly asks, looking concerned.

“Yeah!” Tendou yelps, his vision, and sight going normal again, “Sorry!”

“It’s alright. You just appeared very out of it for a moment. Perhaps you’re tired?”

“Yeah… yeah, probably,” Tendou speaks softly, pinching his thigh in his effort to confirm that this is real right now.

“It’s very late. We should both head home. One’s health is more important than work, after all.”

“More important than lizards too, right?” Tendou makes a shoddy attempt at some humor, his lip curling upwards.

“Yes,” Ushijima smiles and he laughs and Tendou’s body feels even more warm, “that too.”

They both fill the room with easy laughter, and suddenly Tendou feels so much more at peace than he did before. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d needed this moment.

“Speaking of lizards,” Ushijima starts when they’ve both ceased laughter, “would you be interested in going to the local pet store this weekend? We can look at the lizards and I can actually show you more clearly the difference between crested and leopard geckos.”

_Is this a date?_ Tendou’s brain feels like it might explode.

“Yes! Definitely! I’d love to do that!”

“Great,” Ushijima smiles again, “I’ll look at my schedule and text you when I’m free. Now, we should head out.”

Tendou abandons the work on his desk, grabbing his bag and following Ushijima to his office, where he also gathers his things to leave. They both head out of the building in comfortable silence, parting ways only after Ushijima has confirmed the plans for the weekend. 

This still feels fake. All of it feels so fake and unreal. But when Tendou waves goodbye to Ushijima and takes in that warm smile once more, somehow he’s convinced that this is incredibly real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3 Please feel free to talk at me about these boys!!!
> 
> twitter: [tendouaf](http://www.twitter.com/tendouaf)  
> tumblr: [tendou-satori](http://www.tendou-satori.tumblr.com)  
> art blog: [kat-doodles](http://www.kat-doodles.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's finally here !!!!! ;; i can't believe i've finally finished a multi-chapter fic,, this is my first time doing that and im so proud. im going to miss this fic so much, its been a BLAST to write, and i'm so happy so many people love it <33 i'll have more to say at the end, but for now, thank you all so much <333

The weekend finally rolls around, and not a moment too soon. Like clockwork, Ushijima sends Tendou a text message early Sunday morning, letting him know that he will be free and would like to meet him at the school at noon. Straight and to the point, just like normal.

Tendou’s both excited and nervous; the longest he’s ever spent interacting with Ushijima was just a few minutes at a time on school grounds. Now he’s going to spend an _entire_ afternoon with him, have lunch with him, and go to a pet store with him. Luckily, Tendou’s always been good at making the most out of any situation, but in Ushijima’s presence… he’s less confident in his spontaneous abilities.

Nevertheless, Tendou quickly agrees to the plans and rolls out of bed with more energy than usual on a Sunday morning. He flies through a shower, makes sure to shave and style his hair to perfection, and finally he comes to his closet, struggling to choose the best possible outfit for the day. 

Typically, he goes for cozy hoodies and shorts on the weekends, but today he wants to look his absolute best. But wait… what if Ushijima is dressing extremely casually? Tendou doesn’t want to overdress and look like an idiot, but he also doesn’t want to underdress and _still_ look like an idiot. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tendou chooses a different method. He closes his eyes and waves his hand in the air, one finger extended. After a few seconds of wild waving, he finally stops on a hanger and cracks one eye open. Looks like he’s wearing a pastel yellow long-sleeved buttondown. 

He quickly slips the shirt on, leaving the top two buttons undone and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. The shirt is accompanied by a pair of dark blue jeans and some old black converse. Before he steps out the door he decides he looks presentable, which is more than he could usually say on any given weekend. 

He makes it to campus a few minutes early, and just as he expected, Ushijima shows up right at noon, also dressed in a casual button-down; a plain denim-colored one, paired nicely with khaki pants. Tendou breathes a quick sigh of relief at the realization that he didn’t under- or over-dress, but then his breath gets caught in his throat when he realizes just how _handsome_ Ushijima looks. 

Deep brown eyes stare back at him and a soft smile greets him as soon as Ushijima has walked up to him, “Hello, Tendou.”

“Hello,” the redhead responds, grinning from ear to ear while trying to quell the blush he knows is filling his cheeks, “how’s your weekend been?”

“It’s been fine,” Ushijima answers simply, “yours?”

“Good. Today will probably be the highlight though, I imagine!”

“I hope so,” the coach’s smile widens, Tendou’s heart beats uncontrollably, “did you want to get lunch before we go to the pet store?”

“Sure!”

They walk side by side, heading in the direction of a street full of small restaurants and shops. Tendou’s been to this part of town occasionally, usually late at night with his friends, in search of a bar to hang out in. 

While they walk, Ushijima explains that he comes to this side of town a lot. He talks about the plants he sees and the friendly old lady that runs a small flower shop that occasionally gives him free flowers to take home. He shows Tendou the small coffee shop he comes to sometimes to grade papers, explains that he doesn’t really like coffee that much, he usually opts for tea instead. Tendou’s charmed when he notices just how many of the shop owners recognize Ushijima and greet him as he passes by. If they engage in conversation, Ushijima quickly introduces Tendou every single time, saying that he’s a coworker that he’s taking out to see the town and that they’re going to look at lizards later. The shop owners greet him with enthusiasm, some giving Tendou knowing stares when they see just how he looks at Ushijima when he says his name.

He’s not subtle. He knows he’s not.

After slowly walking through the street of stores, Ushijima finally stops at a small sandwich shop, turning towards Tendou as he points at the sign, “Is this alright? I come here on my lunch break sometimes. Their food is very tasty.”

Truth be told, Tendou would accept anything at this point, as long as Ushijima continues to tell him little stories about his daily life and habits. He nods quickly, “Yep, this is fine!”

They head inside, and once again the woman at the counter greets Ushijima by his name, asking if he wants his usual.

“Please,” Ushijima confirms, “I’ll also be buying my friend’s as well.”

“Wh - ?” Tendou starts but is quickly interrupted.

“Take your time deciding, there’s many options. I find numbers three and seven are the best.”

As much as Tendou wants to deny Ushijima paying for him, he realizes a couple of things. One, his coworker appears more than happy to pay for his food for him. Two, with it this way… it feels more like a date, and that makes Tendou’s heart soar. 

“Ah… I’ll have a number seven, then!” he finally orders, opting for the meatier of the two sandwiches instead of the healthier one.

The cashier takes their orders, gives Ushijima the total, and he quickly pays before speaking again.

“Is the balcony table open?”

“It sure is!” the cashier grins, “You’re free to sit there!”

As soon as they’ve gotten their sandwiches, neatly wrapped in colorful paper and sealed with stickers with each of their menu numbers, Ushijima leads the way up a skinny set of stairs. At the top, there’s a sliding door leading out to a quaint balcony overlooking the whole street. It easily slides open and they both take their seats at a round table for two. It’s the only table on the balcony, but the rest of the space is taken up by gorgeous flowers and towering plants. Tendou looks around at the space, both mesmerized by the beauty and disappointed that he’s never seen any of this before despite living in this town so long.

“It’s beautiful up here. I like to come here a lot,” Ushijima states fondly, “sometimes I bring a sketchbook and draw what I see.”

“You draw?” Tendou immediately stares back at Ushijima, suddenly even more captivated.

“Sometimes. It’s just a hobby,” Ushijima answers, “but I do enjoy it. I have a lot of respect for people like you who do art as a career.”

_Ushijima Wakatoshi, you absolute angel_ , Tendou thinks, but when he speaks he only says, “Oh! Well, thanks!”

They both unwrap their sandwiches, digging in while still enjoying the scenery around them. They eat in silence, but it’s _comfortable _silence. Typically Tendou isn’t a fan of silence, since it makes him uneasy and anxious. But something about being around Ushijima makes him feel calm, at ease, as if the world is actually okay.__

__“So… you said you interned at a reptile shelter in college?” Tendou asks after he’s mostly made it through his sandwich, “What was that like?”_ _

__“I did,” Ushijima, still about halfway into his food, swallows the bite in his mouth before continuing, “it was very fun. Reptiles are incredibly interesting creatures. I particularly enjoyed the skinks and the turtles.”_ _

__“Oh, cool! I’ve heard skinks are like… the dogs of the reptile world,” he chuckles._ _

__“Somewhat,” Ushijima thinks this over, smiling in amusement, “they will eat dog food, and they are very calm. Some of them would sit on my shoulders during the day, and they would stay for hours.”_ _

__Tendou imagines Ushijima covered in skinks and has to hold back a probably inhuman noise. _God_ he wishes he could have witnessed that._ _

__“That’s so cool! I really like lizards. Always wanted one but never got around to getting one.”_ _

__“Maybe today will be your lucky day, then,” Ushijima says, taking another bite of his sandwich._ _

__“Yeah, maybe!” Tendou smiles, the idea of taking a little lizard home somehow becoming even more of a dream._ _

__If he can get anything out of this silly situation besides another date with Ushijima, hopefully it will be a lizard._ _

__“I assumed you wanted one, based on how we met,” Ushijima’s voice has a very slight tease to it, and it makes Tendou’s skin flare up with goosebumps._ _

__“Ah, yeah,” the redhead laughs nervously, “ _god_ , I was so awkward, I’m sorry again about all that. I’m surprised you even wanted to hang out after that.”_ _

__“It’s alright,” Ushijima crumples up the paper from his sandwich and moves to toss it as well as Tendou’s trash in the nearby trash can, “I said that I find you amusing, in a good way, and I meant that. You’re very interesting, Tendou. Also in a good way.”_ _

__Tendou knows his face is red. It has to be with how warm he feels._ _

__“Still, though. You like… haven’t even wondered about my original intentions? At all?” It’s probably an odd question, maybe even a dangerous one, but Tendou knows… he knows he needs to come clean if he wants to rid himself of the guilt he still has._ _

__“‘Intentions?’ Hmm,” Ushijima looks thoughtful, but doesn’t continue._ _

__“I mean…” Tendou chews on his lower lip, “originally, I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. And that sorta… grew into a stupid lie.”_ _

__“I see,” Ushijima nods, “well, I am happy you found an excuse.”_ _

__“Really? Even if I drunk texted you? Cause that was embarrassing.”_ _

__“Of course,” he looks confused by Tendou’s guilt._ _

__Clearly Tendou’s going to have to be clear with him in order to fully get rid of this weight on his shoulders._ _

__“Look, Ushijima, I… I _really_ like you. And I don’t want to keep holding on to some weird hope that you might feel the same, because I know that’s a tall order. But _that_ was my original intention. And I just… need you to know that.”_ _

__As soon as he’s done, he breathes a large sigh, but he winces in preparation for whatever Ushijima has to say in response._ _

__“I know that,” Ushijima says, making Tendou nearly jump out of his seat, “I’ve known that since you first looked at me when we met, Tendou.”_ _

__“Wait… really? For real?”_ _

__“Yes. I’ve worked at many schools the past few years, and I’ve dealt with many very flirtatious coworkers. I rarely return their sentiments, as I’m usually not interested, but I am quite used to the habits and speech patterns of people who are attracted to me.”_ _

___Of course…_ Tendou wants to smack his head against the table. How _stupid_ was he to think he could actually get away with trying to be sly about his feelings? Pathetic._ _

__“You are different, Tendou. Something about you is very appealing to me. This is why I haven’t declined your efforts yet. And this is why I personally wanted to make an effort to take you out,” he pauses, and finishes with a softer tone, “I think I like you as well, Tendou.”_ _

__Heart pounding extremely hard and soul ascending to another plane of existence, Tendou stares at Ushijima with wide eyes, a blank expression, and mouth hung open._ _

__“I can’t read your expression right now, Tendou. Is this good or bad?” Ushijima asks, brow furrowed._ _

__“Good,” Tendou whispers, body trembling with energy and a need to throw his arms above his head and celebrate, “ _so_ good. _God_ I was so scared to tell you that, Ushijima,” he laughs with relief._ _

__“I apologize. I should have come forward and told you sooner, however I wasn’t actually sure about my feelings until now. I respect that you were honest with me. And I have greatly enjoyed our day together so far. Have you?”_ _

__“Yes, oh my god, yes,” the redhead nods enthusiastically, “this has been so fun, Ushijima, thank you.”_ _

__“It’s not over yet. Are you ready to go to the pet store now?”_ _

__“Yeah!”_ _

__They leave the balcony, leave the restaurant with a ‘thank you’ and a wave towards the cashier, and are quickly headed in the direction of the pet store. Having taken lunch very slow, by this time it’s around 3 PM, and the street is bustling with activity. Tendou stays close to Ushijima, both of them continuing to greet shop owners as they walk. On occasion, they’ll pass by someone walking a dog, and Ushijima makes a point to ask to pet it. He declares every time that the dog is a ‘good dog’ and that he hopes it has a good day. Meanwhile, Tendou watches with pure adoration on his face._ _

__They finally reach the small pet store and enter through a white door, a bell tinkling above their heads as they enter. After greeting the worker at the front, Ushijima leads the way farther inside. He’s disappointed to see that there are no puppies at the moment, but they do stop at a cage with several kittens inside. The worker at the front explains that the litter was dropped off a couple days ago._ _

__Ushijima kneels down, sticking a finger inside the cage and gently scratching at one of the kitten’s heads, “Do you like cats, Tendou?”_ _

__“I do! I’ve never had one but they’re real cute,” he leans down, immediately noticing a black and white kitten rushing around the cage with probably enough energy for five kittens, “that one’s a ball of energy!”_ _

__The kitten stares at them with wide yellow eyes, large ears twitching at the sound of their voices. Tendou sticks a finger in the cage as well, cooing at the kitten as it eagerly steps forward. He bats at his finger a few times before rolling onto his back and eyeing them both expectantly._ _

__“Maybe he wants a tummy rub,” Ushijima wonders out loud, reaching a bit further to poke at the kitten’s belly._ _

__He doesn’t appear to object, and even looks happy when Ushijima starts to rub his tummy._ _

__“So cute,” Tendou whines, “I hope he gets a good home.”_ _

__“I do as well,” Ushijima retracts his finger and scratches the kitten’s ear before standing up again, “now, let’s go see the lizards.”_ _

__They head further back, Ushijima still leading the way. Finally they come across a few aquariums lined up next to each other. Bearded dragons, skinks, geckos, and even an iguana stare back at them. Tendou loves them all but he knows what they’re really here for._ _

__Ushijima, pointing towards one of the aquariums housing a gecko, glances at Tendou, “Now, which breed of gecko is this?”_ _

__It’s a tall cage, with lots of branches and plants, and a gecko with extra scaly looking skin and wide eyes. It even jumps a few times to reach its food dish, which it laps eagerly at._ _

__“Crested gecko, right?” Tendou answers, “Cause cresties like to jump and they need tall cages with lots of plants to jump and climb on.”_ _

__“Very good,” Ushijima smiles before pointing at the cage next to it, “what about this one?”_ _

__This one is a horizontally long cage, with a sandy base and a single rock hideaway. He can barely see the gecko, poking its head out of the hideaway and watching a cricket closely as it crawls by._ _

__“Leopard gecko! They eat crickets and other bugs.”_ _

__“Good,” Ushijima nods, “so you did read the text.”_ _

__Tendou proudly puts his hands on his hips, “I did, are you proud of me, Ushijima-san?”_ _

__“I am. Also,” he pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment, “if you would prefer to call me Wakatoshi, I won’t object. I just realized how strange it is for you to address me the same way my students do.”_ _

__Tendou laughs at that. He hadn’t really thought about that either, but he has to admit Ushijima -- no, _Wakatoshi_ \-- is right._ _

__“Will do, Wakatoshi! You can call me Satori, then.”_ _

__“Satori,” Wakatoshi says clearly, and Satori adores the way it rolls so easily off his tongue, “I prefer that anyway.”_ _

__They return their attention back to the geckos in front of them._ _

__“So which one are you thinking of taking home?”_ _

__Satori thinks about it. He _is_ pretty amused by the crested gecko’s constant jumping and the lapping of his little tongue against the food in his dish, but he also finds the leopard gecko’s soft face and calm nature really intriguing. _ _

__“They’re both so _cool_ , Wakatoshi!” Tendou struggles, hands on his knees as he leans forward to examine both cages closer, “What do you think?”_ _

__“Hmm,” Wakatoshi leans closer as well, “I think…” he points to the crested, “that one reminds me of you. He’s very energetic.”_ _

___Cute…_ Tendou’s cheeks feel warm again, “Yeah? Well this one,” he points to the leopard gecko, “is _totally_ you. He’s so calm and stoic and also… he’s pretty cute.”_ _

__He can hear Wakatoshi softly laughing beside him, “So which would you rather take home? You originally talked about a crested, but I can tell you’re quite taken by the leopard gecko.”_ _

__He’s right. He’s _so_ right. _ _

__“What if,” Wakatoshi offers up after a few more quiet, thoughtful moments, “we both take one? My students would probably love having a gecko in the classroom.”_ _

__“That’s such a good idea!” Satori exclaims, grinning and turning to face Wakatoshi, “Which do you want more? I’ll take what you don’t want.”_ _

__“No, you choose first,” Wakatoshi counters, “after all, this trip to the pet store is for you.”_ _

__Satori returns his attention to the geckos again. It’s such a difficult choice… but he thinks in his heart he knows what he wants._ _

__“That one,” he points to the leopard gecko, “I want that one.”_ _

__“Great,” Wakatoshi gently pats the crested gecko’s cage, “then I’ll take this one.”_ _

__They return back to the front of the store, letting the cashier know that they want to buy the two geckos in the back. The cashier quickly calls one of the other workers out from the back to assist them, and soon enough, Wakatoshi and Satori both have bags full of supplies. Wakatoshi informs the worker that they won’t be needing aquariums, as he has plenty at school that they can use. When they leave, Satori is grinning from ear to ear, genuinely ecstatic to have a pet he can call his own._ _

__“You look happy,” Wakatoshi observes, tan skin even more beautiful in the early evening light._ _

__“I am!” Satori confirms, taking care not to swing his arm too much with the bag of supplies and his new gecko in its grip, “Thank you again for today, Wakatoshi.”_ _

__“Thank _you_ ,” Wakatoshi responds, “I hope our geckos will like their new homes.”_ _

__“Me too, I can’t wait to hold him and pet him and look at him and tell all my friends about him and --”_ _

__He stops abruptly when Wakatoshi suddenly reaches for his hand, threading his fingers between his with a still calm expression on his face._ _

__Satori stares at him with wide eyes, a crooked smile, and cheeks as red as a tomato._ _

__“Are you alright? I apologize if I overstepped a boundary,” Wakatoshi quickly releases Satori’s hand._ _

__The redhead grabs it again just as quick as Wakatoshi had released it, “Absolutely not, Wakatoshi! I’m just… I dunno, I can’t believe this is real.”_ _

__“Ah,” they continue walking, Wakatoshi smiling again once he realizes everything is okay, “it’s definitely real, Satori.”_ _

__Satori feels slight movement from the bag in his hand, his new gecko probably running around in his small temporary box. Somehow the combination of that movement and the feeling of Wakatoshi’s warm hand in his tell him that yes -- this _is_ real. As unbelievable and mind-boggling as that might be, Wakatoshi’s hand is in his and they had a real date today and his biggest crush ever _actually_ likes him back._ _

__“It’s real,” Satori breathes, clenching Wakatoshi’s hand tighter._ _

__They walk slowly together through the street, admiring the gradual sunset and the cooling breeze as they get closer and closer to the school. Once they’ve reached their destination, they head inside the empty building and into Wakatoshi’s classroom. They help each other assemble their new aquariums, and admire their work as soon as they release the geckos inside their new habitats._ _

__Satori isn’t sure how long he spends at the school with Wakatoshi. They sit in silence for most of the time, watching their new pets and laughing softly when each of them do something interesting or funny. This night would become a highlight of Satori’s year, a highlight of his life. Just a few hours in the grand scheme of things, but the start of something big for both him and Wakatoshi, marked by awkward hand holding and a couple fleeting, curious kisses._ _

__By the time they do leave, they make plans for the next weekend. When Satori thinks back to all the relationships he's had, though not many, he’s never felt so confident in something in his entire life. It’s not like Wakatoshi and him even stated they were officially dating, but the strong embrace Wakatoshi gives him, the warm smile he offers before he leaves, and the sweet, “Lunch tomorrow?”... all of that tells him that this is something special._ _

__And honestly, based on the fact that he’s gained a pet gecko from their very first date, how could he ever _not_ consider this something truly special?_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all again so much for reading this and enjoying it as much as i have <33 i have a few things to say!
> 
> im dedicating this fic to my cat, casper. he was my shining light in the darkness, the most precious thing in my entire life, and he unfortunately passed away recently. he makes a cameo in this fic (he was the black and white kitten! thats exactly how he acted when i adopted him six years ago!) it's probably silly to dedicate something like this to him, and it would never be enough, but i deeply, deeply miss him and i'm so glad i was able to give him at least a few lines in here. 
> 
> gotta thank my best friend, erica, as well <33 she's always so supportive and amazing and im sososo lucky to have her in my life.
> 
> and thank you ushiten, for being there for me when everything feels so dark and awful. i've had a very bad year in terms of mental health and i've struggled with so much, but i've always been able to escape in my head to a world of happy, fluffy ushiten, and that makes my life so much easier on most days. 
> 
> i have so much more planned in terms of writing. i'm working on a post-apocalypse stz au, a strip club au, and of course, IAHWNW is still on my list to finish someday. i have not abandoned that fic and i never will, because it's very important to me. i love writing ushiten and i don't plan on stopping anytime soon <3
> 
> thank you all SO MUCH again, and PLEASE feel free to talk at me about this fic or just ushiten or tendou in general! ;;
> 
> twitter: [tendouaf](http://www.twitter.com/tendouaf)  
> tumblr: [tendou-satori](http://www.tendou-satori.tumblr.com)  
> art blog: [kat-doodles](http://www.kat-doodles.tumblr.com)


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